Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Facebook helps find a lost and forlorn dog.

 A sweet shy pit bull/Doberman mix named Siobhan, part of the largest cruelty case in Georgia history, had found new life at LifeLine Animal Project in Avondale Estates, Georgia. She got up to 40 pounds, regained her health and finally discovered how to play with toys. 

Over Easter weekend, this three-year-old's foster parents took her to Beaufort, South Carolina for vacation. But Siobhan ran away, nowhere to be found. When she was spotted in town, the  skittish Siobhan fled from help, only to be hit by a car. She then scampered off into the salt marshes surrounding Beaufort.

For days a crew from Lifeline and her foster family searched frantically yet fruitlessly for her in the dangerous marshes. So Lifeline turned to Facebook, posting about her plight and offering a $500 reward for her safe return.

On Siobhan's fourth day lost in Beaufort, nursing student Faith Wade, who had reposted the original Facebook plea, got a tip from a local business: They spotted  Siobhan in a nearby marsh. Wade called Debbie Setzer from Lifeline, and after buying a pair of rubber boots, this wife of a deployed marine joined Setzer, the pair wading through the vine-choked marsh calling Siobhan's name over and over again. And then, a sound that Wade and Setzer may always remember. 

"I'll never forget hearing Siobhan answer my calls for her with her beautiful, strong, deep bark, or her pretty eyes, just calmly looking at me through the marsh grass when I first saw her," Wade posted on Lifeline's Facebook page after finding Siobhan on April 27th.  "It was a wonderful day."
Wade, and the folks at Lifeline, credit Facebook for pointing them to Siobhan. "SHE'S FOUND - THANKS TO YOU, FACEBOOK FRIENDS!!!," Lifeline posted on its page. "You responded to our pleas for help and spread the word. You saved her!"

Friday, May 20, 2011

If you’re not gratified in knowing that Fat People are Harder to Kidnap...

Weight-loss guru and women’s health advocate Suzanne Somers has a customized new weight-loss program. Suzanne will help you uncover the hidden obstacles preventing you from losing weight. And she’ll give you all the tips and tools you need to lose weight. Click on the banner above, take her free quiz, and learn how to become Sexy Forever!

Sunday, May 15, 2011

Police Spying Backfires As Criminals Use Facebook/Twitter For Surveillance




Recently, there has been a lot of public outcry against police officers using social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter to spy on supposed criminals. Now, it looks like the criminals are giving the police a taste of their own medicine.

According to a Foxnews.com article, police officials are worried that social networking is putting officers at risk.
The article stated: “Criminals are using [social networking] sites to identify and investigate law-enforcement officers, including undercover police. In addition, hostage-takers and suspects who barricade themselves in buildings are monitoring social media to track police movements in real time, and gang members are launching their own surveillance operations targeting police.”
The criminals likely got the idea to use social networking to this end from police, though.

According to iNews880.com, this practice is extremely commonplace, and police from different precincts are sharing the secrets of online surveillance with other officers. “Gang expert George Chavez, a police detective in Wisconsin, said today in an interview that gang members feel secure in putting up information on the Web. But he says police are using tactics to gain access to their sites to gather pictures of suspected gang members and find out about proposed meeting places and activities.”

But an editorial on PCMag.com argues that social network spying has become commonplace — not just for police and criminals, but for everyone.
“To get the details you want, you can look over people’s Facebook pages and LinkedIn pages to get a reasonable amount of background info. You can then check if they have a Twitter account. If so, what do they harp on? Do they use a goofy name? If they have a blog, they’ll probably link it on one of these services. If they do, what is it about?” the editorial said.

“But people should at least be aware that they might be scrutinized based on their online information, even when it is supposedly ‘private.’ While I cannot view people’s private postings, you can be sure the government can.”

Saturday, May 7, 2011

Every move you make online is being tracked.

Every move you make online is being tracked.

Identity thieves are not the only prying eyes on the internet. Mainstream Web sites and their advertising partners track your cyber moves as well. Some is innocent, and some is beneficial. However, online tracking often crosses the line with a worrisome invasion of our privacy. 
Sites routinely sell information about you to other companies and entities, all of which they eagerly gather simply by installing tracking files onto our computer, without our permission. This allows tracking companies to lurk unseen on their sites, gathering scads of information about us.

Not only are the shopping sites guilty, but also Media companies who then sell information on what articles we read, as do some Charities about what interests us. And, then there is the ever hungry government agencies that are compiling files of all sorts of information about us.

It's just a fact that there are many many eyes associated with these online sites including such Gov't. agencies as, IRS, FBI, CIA, Homeland Security, ATF, INS, and including unions, neighbors, friends, enemies, con-artists, etc. 
All are super thrilled that they have uncovered an authenticated stream of personal information on most Americans, and including a recent photo, birth date, friends, relatives, likes, dislikes. All foolishly but innocently volunteered by us on social sites spread out all over cyber space.

Singles, and dating sites are chocked full of all sorts of intimate statistics you are required to submit when signing up for membership. Nowhere else could this information be gathered regarding your most personal and intimate details that we trustingly post online for so many abusers to view, and possibly exploit.
This unauthorized sharing of your personal information targets your weaknesses, your passions, your reading agenda, your sexual preferences, and on, and on , and on.

What can you do?
1.   Use an ad-tracker tracker: These programs don’t stop the spying process but do alert you that you are being watched and then decide if you choose to visit those sites in the future.

2.   Opt out of tracking: Many online advertisers and companies that sell information allow internet users to opt-out of internet tracking by signing up with an opt-out service. Some Opt-out services include: www.AboutAds.info ….   www.PrivacyChoice.org …..and www.NetworkAdvertising.org

Several web browsers such as Mozilla Firefox and Google Chrome are  starting to offer ways to permanently otp-out of ad tracking. However, less ethical advertisers do not participate in these opt-out programs. 

Other suggestions are, to clear your cookie cache from your computer. If you do, you will however have to replace some information to those sites that you want to access quickly such as online-banking, and sites that recognize your cyber-cookie-footprint when you visit them. Other options include: Adjusting your browser settings for greater privacy, and by avoiding sites that do a poor job of protecting user privacy.


Monday, May 2, 2011

SMOKING HABIT ERASED by famed scientist, Dr. Linus Pauling. And, it’s a Delightful, Enjoyable Natural Cure.

Nobel Prize winner Dr. Linus Pauling came up with this odd-sounding natural remedy, and it was soundly retested by a British research group. In just 3 short weeks, the folks who used oranges were smoking an average of 79% less — and many had kicked the habit completely! Incidentally, when you take a piece of orange instead of smoking a cigarette, first suck the juice out and then eat the pulp.

For a more detailed regime to follow,  and how-to prepare your juice cure go to: http://www.ehow.com/how_5568485_stop-smoking-using-oranges.html 

As a bonus, click on this site for a whimsical, & musical smoking cessation greeting card you can send to a friends and loved ones.